Engadget reports that the Apple US online store is now shipping iPhone 3Gs directly to your front door. Before, they didn’t offer any direct shipments, they only supported pre-qualifying your credit for an AT&T contract. iPhone 3Gs were only available in retail stores when buying from Apple, however, AT&T offered the iPhone 3G via its retail stores and online store. Seems now Apple is joining that boat and offering direct shipments of everyone’s favorite device.

Apparently, this new distribution method is only available for new AT&T customers, while existing AT&T customers will have to pick up their iPhones at local Apple or AT&T retail stores. New customers are taken through a series of screens in which they must submit their enter their billing address to allow AT&T to run a credit check, select their rate plan, and either reserve an iPhone for pickup at a local Apple store or complete the purchase and have the iPhone shipped directly to them.

- source: engadget.com